I got a kitten few hours ago

Question
QUESTION: I just got an abandoned  kitten . May be 2-3 weeks old.
Eyes are opened , realy small eyes , and ears are also standing up.
It has a very small mouth , but I managed to give some milk to it using a 3 cm syringe within the first 5 minutes I got her.
But new it has been 6 hours , she is not drinking any more milk.
what to do ?
I have tried many times and failed.
I dont have a vet doctor nearby..
what to do ?
is it normal that small cats will drink that few milk?
I thought they have to be fed every 2/3 hour.

ANSWER: Shiji,

This can be a problem.  2-3 week old kittens do not eat as often as newborns, so there may not be a problem.  If you can get a kitten milk replacer at a pet store, this would be ideal.  IF not come back to me and I will give you some recipes for kittens.

To see if the kittens are doing well when you hand raise them, we like a digital postal scale for weighing kittens. Newborns should gain about 1 oz (30 g) in the first week and nearly 2 oz (50 g) in each subsequent week until weaning.  A good feeding regimen for kittens is 4 times a day (e.g. midnight, 7:00 AM, 1:00 PM, 7:00 PM).  

If the kitten will nurse from a pet nurser, this is preferable.  Otherwise you will have to tube feed, and your vet can show you how.

If you are tube feeding, the kitten should take about .3 oz (8-10 mL) of formula for every 4 oz (100 g) of body weight.  Divide this by 4 to get an idea of how much to feed each time. Before you feed each kitten, make sure you push enough formula through the tube so that there is no air in the tube when you begin feeding. If the mixture is too rich or the kitten is being overfed, they can get diarrhea.  

If the kittens are taking formula from a pet nurser they should take what you would tube feed on their own. If any of them do not seem to drink enough, wait a few minutes and try again.

Whether you are tube or pet nurser feeding, make sure the formula is warm on the back of your hand before giving it to the baby. In both cases watch out for over feeding.  This can cause diarrhea and, worse, if a baby regurgitates it can aspirate the formula leading to pneumonia!

Once each baby has been fed, you can potty it.  It should pee each time and poop once a day. To potty the kitten get a soft tissue or cloth and gently stimulate the genital area, it will potty.  You can burp each baby by holding it upright and gently tapping on its back.  With tube feeding, it should not get much air, so you may not hear any burp.

Please get back to me if you have more questions and let me know how the little tyke is doing.  Hand reared kittens are always a challenge and it does not always work out.
In another week, you should be able to begin the weaning process.  Please let mw know if you instructions on how to wean.

Best regards... Norm.


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi again , I think she was kind of scared when I find her , she was being attacked by some birds ...
may be that caused the problem.
Yesterday morning she drink some milk , and I done it again 4 more times.
at the evening she pee on me..

Today she is pooped too.She seems to be happy now , well a bit unhappy about her mom..
She loves to sleep on my chest.
she is willing to play with my hand too.
So I think she will be alright ,

Ur advise is so much useful for me , because I don't have any prior small cat caring experience.
Today she ate "a small liver of a fish" , is that will be all right ?
she seems to like fish.

Sorry for my bad English.

Answer
Shirjil,

No need to apologize for your English as I understood your question and explanation perfectly.

I am glad to hear the tyke is improving.  I would get some canned cat food and try a little bit if that.  If she eats the cat food she will do even better.

Best regards... Norm.